Lady Sovereign
Jigsaw
Midget Records/EMI
BREAKING the
norms, as usual- Lady Sovereign became the first non American female to be
signed by Def
Jigsaw is her junior release but her first effort without the backing
of a major label. It’s an obvious misfit as it noticeably failed to parallel previously
interesting efforts. It’s a softer approach compared to her usual aggressive
grime based banter. Unfortunately her softer image presents as less authentic
and over produced.
Lady Sovereign’s North London accent
weighs heavily on the 10 track release, making each cheeky lyrical comment uniquely
her own but also proves to be slightly annoying. Jigsaw attempts to seamlessly
blend hip hop rap with heavy synthesizers to create house friendly club rap,
but it’s dodgy effort that lacks a succinct theme and any textured or layered
effect.
Opening the album with quirky Let’s
Be Mates tried to trick listeners into believing they are in for an audio
delight of poppy, easy to listen to simple minded tracks. Alternatively, the quality tracks are lightly scattered in between
others that should have been dropped. So
Human prominently features the backing from The Cure classic Close To Me which is the highlight, but
as the album wears on the quality quickly falters.
Food Play is disappointment but not nearly as cringe worthy as Student Union-the rhymes lack expected witty humorous relief and fails to entertain - on any level.
Without the direction from the mentor of all mentors- Jay Z- Lady Sovereign
attempted to come into her own, but failed. While some tracks are ingenious,
others miss the mark completely. Overall, slightly more direction from a
professional would have gone a long way.
